BASF & AgLink reach 1,000 farming kids with Safety Champs program
- Over 1,000 free Safety Champ packs were distributed in 2023, boostingfarm hazard awareness for children living on farms.
- Farm safety for children is a key issue; 18 per cent of the injury events onfarms involved children under the age of 15 in 2022.1
- Safety Champs supports parents and caregivers to facilitateconversations with children about farm safety in a fun and educationalway.
Melbourne, Australia – 9 January, 2024 – BASF Australia, in partnership with AgLink Australia members have delivered more than 1,000 free Safety Champs packs to Australian children living on farms.
The Safety Champs program reminds Australians that farms are not just busy workplaces, they are also family homes where children can encounter serious hazards. In fact, more than 99% of Australia’s agricultural businesses are family owned and operated2.
In 2022, 18 per cent of the injury events on farms involved children under the age of 15, underscoring the importance of spreading awareness to help identify potential hazards and prevent accidents amongst children. Safety Champs supports parents and caregivers to engage and educate the next generation in a fun and educational way by facilitating important discussions around the importance of embracing caution and safe behaviours on farms. The fun and educational farm safety themed activity packs were targeted at five- to ten-year-olds and came in a re-usable drawstring bag including:
- A Safety Champs program introductory letter
- Child-sized safety vest
- Noise reducing earmuffs, which meet Australian safety standards
- Printable safety themed activities
- An ‘Our Farm Safety Pledge’ for families to complete together
- An official Safety Champs certificate
The packs were made available to growers and farmers in every agriculture sector, including community programs that educate regionally based children.
Glen Innes Research Natural Resources Advisory Committee (GLENRAC) in collaboration with project partners including NSW State Government and NAB Foundation, ran a Bush Kids First Aid program throughout 2023 and ordered 40 packs for the children attending the courses. Karen Bavea, Projects Manager from GLENRAC, said the packs provided an important access point to engage children on the topic of safety in regional and rural areas.
“It’s important that children living in remote areas know how to respond and act in emergency situations. It’s also important that they know how to identify and avoid potential hazards, so accidents don’t happen in the first place. It can be hard to find a fun and engaging way to communicate these important messages, and the BASF Safety Champs program has helped to enable this. The kids were very excited to receive the safety packs, and now they can be just like the adults they look up to with their own safety vests and earmuffs,” Bavea said.
Commenting on the success of this year’s initiative, Gavin Jackson, Head of Agricultural Solutions for BASF in Australia and New Zealand, said “Safety Champs is part of BASF’s dedication to strengthening rural communities and we want to make the program bigger and better in 2024.”
“It was fantastic to see the runaway success of this year’s Safety Champs program. Partnering with AgLink members has enabled the farm safety message to extend the program beyond cropping and reach livestock farming families. Ensuring the safety and livelihood of all in our farming communities is essential, especially for their youngest members. In 2024 and beyond we plan to grow the program and evolve it to cover different farm safety topics,” Jackson said.
Ian Scutt, CEO of AgLink Australia also remarked at the results of Safety Champs, stating, “We are delighted to partner with BASF to deliver a unique program that champions safety culture for our youngest community members in rural and regional Australia. It’s clear there is a real desire for improving farm safety and this program is one way farming families can work together to implement measures that can make their farm an even safer and more fun environment to grow up in.” To stay updated on the 2024 Safety Champs program, visit crop-solutions.basf.com.au.
1 FarmSafe Australia - Safer Farms 2023: Agricultural Injury and Fatality Trend Report
2 National Famers' Federation - Farm Business
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population while reducing environmental impacts. Working with partners and agricultural experts and by integrating sustainability criteria into all business decisions, we help farmers to create a positive impact on sustainable agriculture. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline, connecting innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our portfolio comprises seeds and specifically selected plant traits, chemical and biological crop protection, solutions for soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we strive to find the right balance for success – for farmers, agriculture and future generations. In 2022, our division generated sales of €10.3 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.
About BASF in Australia and New Zealand
BASF serves key industries in the agriculture, coatings, manufacturing and mining sectors, and posted sales of about €492 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2022. As of the end of 2022, the company had 374 employees and operated 6 production sites across Agricultural Solutions, performance products and functional materials and solutions. BASF has been active in Australia for over 100 years, and about 60 years in New Zealand. Further information is available on www.basf.com/au and www.basf.com/nz
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com
